KDH move goes off as planned

Monday, February 25, 2013 10:00 AM

FIRST ADMISSION: Verna Miller was the first patient to be admitted to the new King’s Daughters’ Hospital after doors officially opened at the new facility at 7 a.m. Saturday. Miller was transfered from the downtown hospital by KDH EMS personnel Renda Mills, Wendy Monroe and Bill Schafer. (Staff photo by Ken Ritchie/kritchie@madisoncourier.com)

The transfer of patients and services from the downtown King's Daughters' Health hospital to the new hilltop hospital took a little more than two hours Saturday.

Fifteen ambulances from King's Daughters' Health and the surrounding area transported 28 patients from the downtown hospital to the new facility beginning at 7 a.m., spokesman Dave Ommen said.

At the same time, emergency services opened at the new building on State Road 62.

The downtown hospital closed to patient care after the final transfer was completed.

"The last patient left the hospital around 9:15 a.m.," Ommen said. "All indications are (the move) went according to plan."

Hospital officials had planned the move over the past year, and the execution of the plan went well on Saturday, he said.

"We were hopeful it would go as it did," Ommen said, yet officials didn't know exactly how many patients would need transportation until the morning of the transfer.

Following the transfers, a sign was placed near the emergency entrance to the downtown hospital to announce the hospital building's closure and the hospital's move to the hilltop location. Maps were available at the downtown location just in case a visitor might not know the location of the new hospital building.

"It's a little bittersweet," Ommen said of the downtown hospital closure. "They've covered up the (King's Daughters' Health) signs."

A few doctor's offices remain in the downtown hospital until the doctors move into new spaces later this week.

Patients needing to access the downtown hospital building for pediatric or neurology appointments this week should park in the parking lot at the corner of West and Fourth streets - across from the downtown hospital's old ER entrance - or the ER parking lot on Presbyterian Avenue to access the building through the double doors just to the left of the downtown facility's Emergency Room entrance, the release said.

Signs will be placed on the doors to notify patients which doors are open for patients. Once inside, patients may walk down the hallway to access the two main elevators in the lobby, the release said.